What were the O.T. Prophets expecting at the end of history?

“The Day of the Lord”

Millennium

Tribulation

Land Zeph.3:14-20

Isa.9:6-7 Spirit Jer.31:3-34

MessiahMal.2:1-6 Israel Jer.

30:7

Nations Zeph.1:14-18

Restoration

Retribution

Malachi 4:5 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 18:15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me (Moses) from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.”

What kind of Messiah was ancient Israel expecting?

The idea of a messianic political / military leader like Moses or King David evolved over time.

Isaiah 40 1 “Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God. 2  “Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received of the Lord’s hand Double for all her sins.” 3  A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. 4  Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; 5  Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.””

Some False Messiah’s of the early Christian era

• Simon of Peraea• Athronges• Moses of Crete• Judas of Galilee• Menahem ben Judah• Theudas• The Egyptian• Vespasian• John of Gischala• Simon bar Kochba• Lukuas

Matthew 24:5 “For many will

come in my Name, saying, ‘I am the Christ’, and will mislead many.”

• John the Baptist

John 1 “19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” 24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.”

The Lord & the End are coming - step aside, clean up, bow down.

John 1 “14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us,”

The Incarnation

1 Timothy 2:5

“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”

The testimony to his humanity is clear.

Jesus is also described as God.• Jn.1:1 “and the Word was God” • Jn.1:18 “the only begotten God” • Jn.20:28 “my Lord and my God” • Titus 2:13 “of our God and Savior

Jesus Christ”

Jesus claimed things that belong only to God. • “his angels” Matt.13:41 • “his kingdom” Matt.12:28 • “his elect” Mk.13:20 • authority to forgive sins Mk.2:8-10 • receiving worship Matt.28:9

O.T. references to God

NT References to Jesus

Ps. 45:6

Isa. 40:3

Joel 2:32

Isa. 8:13-14

Isa. 44:6, 48:12

Ps. 97:9

Ps. 24:7, 29:3

Isa. 8:13

Deut. 10:17

Isa. 45:22-23

2 Chron. 7:14

Isa. 49:26

Isa. 45:18

Isa. 45:22; Ps. 83:18

Heb. 1:8 “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.”

Matt. 3:3 “Make ready the way of the Lord.”

Acts 2:21 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

I Pet. 2:6-8; Rom. 9:33 “The Lord of hosts is “a rock to stumble over”

Rev. 1:17-18, 22:12-13 “the first and the last”

Jn. 3:31 “He is above all”

Jas. 2:1; I Cor. 2:8 “Lord of glory”

I Pet. 3:15 The Lord of hosts is sacred.

I Tim. 6:15-16 “the bessed and only Sovereign, the King of Kings ...”

Phil. 2:10-11 “at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.”

Mk. 2:5-7 forgiving sins as only God can.

Jn. 4:24 Jehovah is Savior and Redeemer

Rev. 4:11; Jn. 1:3 Creator

Heb. 10:7; Jn. 5:39 “In the roll of the Book it is written of Me”

Jesus is linked with the God of the O.T.

Philippians 2 “6 . . . although He existed in the form of God, (he) did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Jesus’ nature - both divine and human Hebrews 1 “1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. 5 For to which of the angels did He ever say, “Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee?” And again, “I will be a Father to Him and He shall be a Son to Me?” 6 And when He again brings the first-born into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.”. . . 8 But of the Son He says, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.””

God

Father

Holy SpiritSon

is

isis

is notis n

ot

is not

The Christian Trinity“In the unity of the

Godhead there are three eternal and co-equal persons, the same in essence but distinct

in subsistence.”

Clear Fork

Elm Fork

Trinity River system

East Fork

West Fork

Texas

Jesus is not just another religious

prophet!

He is the unique Son of God!

“29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

1 Peter 1 “18  knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

The Lord God is also the Lamb of GodIsaiah 53:10

“But the Lord was pleased to crush him, putting him to grief; if he would render himself as a guilt offering.”

“29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

The Law of Moses revealed both:The need for redemption

The means of redemption

Fulton J. Sheen

“Of all the great religious leaders of history, Jesus is unique in that he alone came for

the purpose of dying.”

It is his death and resurrection!

Jesus’ ethical example, insightful teaching, and miracles are not what

makes him special!

“30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”

The Lord God who is the Lamb of God gives the Spirit of God

• John probably knew Jesus as his relative but not as the Christ.

• John’s baptizing of the believing remnant within Israel would provide occasion for the true Messiah to be revealed, as he was by a descending dove.

Galatians 3 “13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” – 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

• The baptism with the Spirit is key to the promise of the Gospel blessing given to Abraham in Genesis 12.

Galatians 4 “26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

The forming of the Body of Christ is at the heart of the “Baptism with the Spirit.”

I Corinthians 12:13“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one spirit.”

John’s Baptism

Spirit Baptism

Believer’s Baptism

by John by Jesus by the church

with water with Spirit with water

of the Jewish remnant

of all who are born of God

of all who profess faith in Christ

to identify the Messianic Age

to unite all believers with

Christ

to outwardly identify believers with Christ

and his church

ended at Pentecost

initiated at Pentecost

continues throughout history

Baptism What is the Baptism with the Holy Spirit?The term baptism when applied to water refers to an initial act, which is never repeated and is used to refer to the introduction of a person into a new sphere of relationship.

It is perhaps best to interpret the phrase, baptism with the Spirit, as referring to the INITIAL WORK OF CHRIST IN UNITING BELIEVERS TO HIMSELF AND TO ONE ANOTHER THROUGH THE PERMANENT INDWELLING OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT

When did Jesus give his Spirit to his followers?

John 20 “21 Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.””

This verse does not say that the disciples received the Holy Spirit.

It records Jesus’ words relating to two facts: 1. “As the Father has sent me, I also send you” (vs. 21), 2. “Receive the Holy Spirit” (vs. 22).

Although the great commission of John 20:21 (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15) was given before Pentecost, it was not initiated and carried out until after Pentecost, so it was with the receiving of the Holy Spirit.

This is a prophetic statement of what would take place at Pentecost. The Greek grammar of (Receive) can have a futuristic sense as in John 13:31; 15:6; Rev.10:7.

John made it clear that the Spirit could not be given until AFTER Jesus left. John 7:39;16:7; Acts 2:33.

John 7:39 “But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

John 16:7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”

Acts 2:33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.”

Jesus did not leave us only with a new religious system!

Jesus leaves all believers with an intimate, relationship with him & each other through his

indwelling Spirit!

Who is Jesus? Why is Jesus significant?

What difference does it make?

The Son of God

The Sacrifice for sin

The Spirit of Life

Authority Atonement Animation

The Gospel message should address three questions:

The Gospel must be proclaimed It is not acquired by private meditation or forced by political / military power. 2 Corinthians 13:14

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”